A British Football League is a sometimes talked-about association football league in the United Kingdom that could incorporate clubs from across the Home Nations. Its creation could involve the merger of the Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish football league systems into the larger English football league system. “Soccer” redirects here. ... Home Nations (often written as the common noun home nations) is a term used to refer to the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — collectively but as separate entities, distinct from the United Kingdom as a state. ... The Scottish football league system (or pyramid) is a series of partially interconnected leagues for Scottish Association football clubs. ... The Welsh football league system (or pyramid) is a series of football leagues with regular promotion and relegation between them. ... The Northern Irish football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football (soccer) in Northern Ireland. ... The English football league system, otherwise known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in England (although for historical reasons a small number of Welsh clubs also compete). ...

A supporter of the proposal was the former chief executive of the SPL between 1998 and 2002.^[1]

FIFA President Sepp Blatter,^[2] has also reacted positively to such an idea, but would prefer in conjunction with the amalgamation of the four British football associations. This article is about an international football organization. ... Joseph Blatter (center), Luís Inácio Lula da Silva (right) and Ricardo Teixeira (seated) in Brasília, September 28, 2006. ...

It is considered a possibility distinct enough that police in Scotland continuously review their anti-hooliganism framework in preparation for its creation.^[3] This article is about the country. ... Hooligan redirects here. ...

Arguments for

• Clubs in the smaller Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish league systems would be more financially successful if exposed to the larger market and audiences.^{[citation needed]}
• Some of the largest metropolitan areas in the UK, such as Belfast, are poorly served by local football, due to the division^{[citation needed]}. The largest Welsh conurbations in the Cities of Cardiff, Swansea and Newport and the area around the town of Wrexham are served by the presence of their teams in the English leagues. A wider British league could spark an investment in football in areas such as Belfast to tap local support, which traditionally rests with the bigger Scottish and English clubs anyway.
• The UK is the only country to have multiple top-tier leagues covering similar-sized areas (within the People's Republic of China, excluded from the mainland football pyramid, lie the Hong Kong and Macau leagues, but they cover rather small areas). Considering the size of the UK, arguments about travelling long distances to matches fall rather flat.
• Six Welsh clubs (Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham, Newport County, Merthyr Tydfil and Colwyn Bay) already play in the English leagues, whilst two England-based teams (Berwick Rangers and The New Saints) play in the Scottish Football League and Welsh Premier League respectively.
• Moving from one Home Nations' league to another is not unprecedented, even recently. Gretna F.C. (which is based just inside Scotland) moved from the English to the Scottish league system in 2003.
• Scottish football, whilst occasionally brilliant, is rather stagnant due to the utter domination of the Old Firm, Celtic and Rangers and thus represents something of a dead end to prospective star players from abroad. These clubs need some real competition.^{[citation needed]}
• Even accepting the special nature of the Home Nations, several foreign countries have a joint league system, (examples: France and Monaco; Switzerland and Liechtenstein; the USA, Canada, Bermuda and Puerto Rico).
• Most Welsh, and Northern Irish internationals play in the English league, and a combined league would allow crowds in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to see their own internationals on a regular basis.^{[citation needed]}

This article is about the city in Northern Ireland. ... This article is about the capital city of Wales. ... For other places with the same name, see Swansea (disambiguation). ... This article is about the city of Newport in Wales. ... This article is about Wrexham the settlement. ... Cardiff City Association Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) are a football team based in Cardiff, and are one of the three Welsh clubs competing in the Football League, currently playing in the Football League Championship. ... Swansea City AFC (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Abertawe) is a Welsh football team currently playing in the Football League League One. ... Wrexham Football Club (nicknamed The Red Dragons, or more traditionally, The Robins) are a football team based in Wrexham in north-east Wales. ... Newport County are a football team based in the city of Newport. ... Merthyr Tydfil F.C. is a Welsh football team from Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan. ... Club logo Colwyn Bay F.C. are a Welsh football club who currently play in the Northern Premier League First Division. ... The English football league system, otherwise known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in England (although for historical reasons a small number of Welsh clubs also compete). ... Berwick Rangers Football Club are a football team based in the English Border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, currently playing in the Scottish Football League. ... The New Saints F.C., often known as TNS, is a Welsh football club representing Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain in Wales and Oswestry in England (the two places are only 8 miles/13 km apart). ... Gretna Football Club is a Scottish football club from Gretna, near Annan, Dumfries and Galloway and promoted to the Scottish Premier League in the 06/07 season. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club, competing in the Scottish Premier League, the highest form of competition in Scotland. ... For other uses, see Rangers F.C. (disambiguation). ... The French football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in France. ... The Swiss Football League is organised in several leagues. ... The American Soccer Pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in the United States. ... First international  Scotland 4 - 0 Wales (Glasgow, Scotland; 26 March 1876) Biggest win Wales 11 - 0 Ireland  (Wrexham, Wales; 3 March 1888) Biggest defeat  Scotland 9 - 0 Wales (Glasgow, Scotland; 23 March 1878) World Cup Appearances 1 (First in 1958) Best result Quarter-finals, 1958 The Wales national football team... For the Irish FAs all-Ireland international team, see Ireland national football team (IFA). ...

Arguments against

• Each Home Nation has its own national side, and so should have its own league system (although prior to the formation of the then League of Wales in 1992, this wasn't the case).
• Other countries may use such a merger to justify demands that the Home Nations' national teams merge as well: a move that would probably be unpopular amongst the majority of the fans of those teams.^{[citation needed]}
• Altogether, the four separate leagues currently receive eight places (including those in qualifying) in the UEFA Champions League; currently, the maximum number of places for an individual league is four, so a merger would have to reduce the total number of European places. The Old Firm in particular would lose their existing stranglehold on European places. Both clubs currently qualify for the Champions League on a yearly basis.
• Determining the places of the teams would be very difficult; either non-English teams would start at the bottom of an enlarged English structure, or there would be a more complicated system.^{[citation needed]} There would undoubtedly be harsh resistance from some lower English clubs if they are forced to make way in the league for non-English sides and lose status.
• With the exception of the Scottish Premier League, the quality of league football outside England is relatively low, and few Welsh or Northern Irish league clubs would be capable of playing in the English Football League (even at the lower levels).^{[citation needed]} The Scottish league is also an average league, and the teams (including those in the the SPL) would arguably struggle against the larger, better funded English sides.^{[citation needed]}
• The separate leagues are ingrained in British football tradition and culture.^{[citation needed]}
• If successful, some other countries may demand to merge their leagues with their neighbours. UEFA and FIFA are both concerned about changes to the existing situation, fearing the creation of vast super-leagues that benefit only the biggest clubs, and not the game as a whole.^{[citation needed]}

The Welsh Premiership is the national football league for Wales and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... First international UK 12 - 1 Sweden (London, UK; 20 October 1908) Biggest win UK 12 - 1 Sweden (London, UK; 20 October 1908) Biggest defeat Bulgaria 6 - 1 UK (Melbourne, Australia; 30 November 1956) Olympic Games Appearances 8 (First in 1908) Best result Gold, 1908 and 1912 The United Kingdom national... European Cup redirects here. ... Crowd at football match between Celtic F.C. and Rangers F.C. at Celtic Park. ... Champions League may refers to: UEFA Champions League - A major football (soccer) tournament contested by European teams. ... The Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League commonly known as the Scottish Premier League, Premier League or SPL is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top level of the Scottish football league system - above the Scottish Football League. ... The Union Européenne de Football Association or Union of European Football Associations in English, almost always referred to by the acronym UEFA (pronounced (you-AY-fuh) or (oo-Ay-fuh) or ), is the administrative and controlling body for European football. ... This article is about an international football organization. ...

Alternative proposals

The formation of a British league is merely a single proposal, and several other suggestions have been made to reduce the divide between club football in the Home Nations.

British Cup

A 'British Cup', that is a domestic cup competition involving teams from all league systems, has been proposed. Originally, the FA Cup included teams from across the United Kingdom, and this continued even after the Scottish Cup was established; Queen's Park of Glasgow reached the FA Cup final in 1884 and 1885. With questions being asked about the future of both the English League Cup and the Scottish League Cup, it has been suggested that they be merged into a single competition.^[4] Other plans for the respective League Cups involve a merger between the later stages of the competitions,^[5] and an annual play-off between the two winning clubs.^[6] It is unlikely that any Welsh Premier League or Northern Irish side would compete in any of these configurations. A competition involving English and Scottish teams has been attempted before as the Anglo-Scottish Cup, but it was not a success. This article is about the English FA Cup. ... The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup[1], usually known as the Scottish Cup, is the national cup knockout competition in Scottish football. ... Queens Park Football Club is a famous Scottish football team, and is the oldest football club in Scotland[1], founded in 1867. ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ... The Scottish Football League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ... The Anglo-Scottish Cup was a tournament arranged for eight of the best teams in English and Scottish football leagues during the summer for several years during the 1970s. ...

Expansion of English Premier League

Since the weakness of the smaller non-English clubs and the need to establish the correct level at which each club should begin are cited as disadvantages of a British league, the directors of the larger Scottish clubs have mooted the separation of only their clubs, leaving the rest of the Scottish league system intact. Since the formation of the English Premiership, in 1992, the two Glasgow 'Old Firm' clubs, Celtic and Rangers, have sought, unsuccessfully, to negotiate their own entry into the break-away league. More recently, Hearts have established themselves as Scotland's third club and, under the ownership of the ambitious Vladimir Romanov, have been mooted as another club that may be strong enough to make the leap to the English top flight.^[7] At one point Wimbledon F.C. were hoping to relocate to Dublin, expanding the Premiership into Ireland. For the Scottish equivalent see Scottish Premier League The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in England and the Barclays English Premier League or just simply The EPL internationally) is a league competition for football clubs located at the top of the English football league system... Crowd at football match between Celtic F.C. and Rangers F.C. at Celtic Park. ... Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club, competing in the Scottish Premier League, the highest form of competition in Scotland. ... For other uses, see Rangers F.C. (disambiguation). ... Heart of Midlothian F.C. (most commonly referred to as Hearts) is a professional football club from Edinburgh, Scotland which plays in the Scottish Premier League. ... Vladimir Romanov, attending a Hearts match. ... Wimbledon F.C. crest This article refers to the original club from London which existed until 2003. ... For other uses, see Dublin (disambiguation). ...

Another possibility is to create a breakaway British Premier League, along the lines of the English Premiership several years ago, which would see the inclusion of top flight teams across the UK (primarily English and Scottish) on a voluntary basis. With the original separate leagues still intact it could then progress to the creation of a second tier of British football, etc. to create a smooth merger from the top down. For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see List of professional sports leagues. ...

Atlantic League

Celtic and Rangers also considered joining an 'Atlantic League'.^[8] This would have incorporated the top teams from Scotland, Portugal, Netherlands and Belgium. The plan was to have this competition work alongside the existing UEFA competitions. Clubs would also take part in their own domestic cup competitions, allowing them to maintain a link with their home associations. The idea was never supported by UEFA (who are against multi-national competitions outside of their own remit) and enthusiasm seems to have faded for this proposal in recent years.^[9] The Union Européenne de Football Association or Union of European Football Associations in English, almost always referred to by the acronym UEFA (pronounced (you-AY-fuh) or (oo-Ay-fuh) or ), is the administrative and controlling body for European football. ...

All-Ireland League

It is highy likely that in the near future the IFA and the FAI will organise an all-Ireland league, combining the top clubs in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.^[10] The FAI Cheif Executive John Delaney admitted that the new all-Ireland competition will probably happen, but not until the League of Ireland's existing television deal with Setanta. expires in 2012.^[11] It is likely the league would consist of 18 to 20 clubs and be modeled on the English Premier League. It is not yet clear whether the league would be made up entirely of existing clubs, or whether a franchise system (such as that used by Rugby Union's Celtic League) will be used, tapping into all the major Irish population centres. The proposals are still at a very early stage. The Irish Football Association (IFA) is the organising body for football in Northern Ireland. ... The Football Association of Ireland (FAI; Irish: Cumann Peile na h-Éireann) is the organising body for the sport of association football (soccer) in the Republic of Ireland. ... As an attributive, All Ireland emphasises the entire island of Ireland, as opposed to either the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. ... Northern Ireland (Irish: , Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a constituent country of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... Young Cúchulainn, 1912 illustration by Stephen Reid. ... 2012 (MMXII) will be a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays English Premier League for sponsorship reasons) comprises the top 20 football clubs in the league system of English football. ... For other uses, see Rugby (disambiguation). ... The Celtic League, currently known as the Magners League for sponsorship reasons, is an annual rugby union competition involving regional sides from Ireland, Scotland and Wales. ...

References